We must end the terror double standards

I wrote this essay for The Guardian.

The horrible terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan on Wednesday has so far left us with little useful information regarding the rampage and its perpetrator. But that hasn’t stopped either the media or our politicians from indulging in rank speculation and collective guilt mongering.

Here’s what we know so far. We know that eight innocent people – including five from Argentina and one from Belgium – were tragically killed. We know that Sayfullo Saipov, the suspect in the attack, is a 29-year-old man who came to the United States from Uzbekistan in 2010, before Isis existed. We know that the attacker mowed down his victims using a rented van. And we know that after leaving the vehicle the suspect is reported to have yelled the words “Allahu Akbar” before being shot by a police officer.

As of this writing, that’s essentially all we know for certain, at least regarding the key operating details of this attack. And yet, that hasn’t stopped the New York Times from reporting that the suspect had been “on the radar” of the authorities…

Read the rest here.